GABRIELA ESTEPHANIE SOLÍS
mezzo-soprano
About
“Gabriela Estephanie Solís, the mezzo-soprano soloist and a San Francisco Bay area native, consistently stole the show with her rich tone and seemingly effortless melismatic lines.”
— San Francisco Classical Voice
“…it was Solís who always seemed to add just the right amount of dramatic seasoning to her delivery of her texts…”
— The Rehearsal Studio
“Solo passages were sung with noble clarity by tenor Mark Bonney and with moving expressiveness (and sensitive Russian diction) by mezzo-soprano Gabriela Estephanie Solís.”
— San Francisco Classical Voice
“In this remarkable Tempesta performance, all four singers were stellar…And as Judith’s devoted handmaiden Abra, mezzo-soprano Gabriela Estephanie Solís sang with warmth, clarity, and a gorgeous tone that made the role come alive.”
— Broad Street Review
Mezzo-soprano Gabriela Estephanie Solís lends her “rich tone” and “moving expressiveness” (San Francisco Classical Voice) to an expansive range of concert repertoire spanning medieval through contemporary periods. Her notable solo performances from past seasons include Copland’s In the Beginning (University of Notre Dame), Brahms’s Alto Rhapsody (Grace & St.Peter’s, Baltimore), selections from Mahler’s Rückert-Lieder (Berkeley Community Chorus and Orchestra), Holst’s The Cloud Messenger (The Epiphany Festival), Mozart’s Requiem (Marin Symphony), and Lili Boulanger’s Psalm 130: Du fond de l’abîme (The Epiphany Festival).
An in-demand interpreter of Baroque repertoire, she has collaborated with preeminent early music organizations such as Tempesta di Mare, Apollo’s Fire, American Bach Soloists, and the Boston Early Music Festival in performances including Vivaldi’s Juditha Triumphans (Tempesta di Mare), Bach’s B Minor Mass (Apollo’s Fire), Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater (Resonance Berkeley), Handel’s Messiah (Seraphic Fire), and Buxtehude’s Membra Jesu Nostri (University of Notre Dame), as well as on stage in the roles of Medoro in Handel’s Orlando (BEMF Young Artist Training Program), Bradamante in Handel’s Alcina, and Endimione in Cavalli’s La Calisto at San Francisco State University under the direction of Christine Brandes. Gabriela also had the privilege of studying at the Weimar Bach Cantata Academy, the Amherst Early Music Festival, the Internationale Bachakademie Stuttgart. She competed as a finalist in both the 2022 Handel Aria Competition and the 2021 Audrey Rooney Bach Competition, and won first place in the 2018 Bethlehem Bach Aria Competition.
She also frequently collaborates with ensembles such as Seraphic Fire and Lorelei Ensemble. Past groups also include Apollo’s Fire, Variant Six, the Oregon Bach Festival Berwick Chorus, Eya Ensemble for Medieval Music, and the choirs of the Washington National Cathedral and National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.
As the proud descendant of immigrants from Panamá and México, Gabriela is passionate about celebrating Latin American and Spanish-language repertoire. She has previously collaborated with the Minnesota-based ensemble Border CrosSing in major works such as Golijov’s La Pasión según San Marcos, as well as a bilingual Spanish-English Messiah with the Minnesota Orchestra and a program of Latin American Baroque music with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. Her personal study focuses on vocal techniques of Panamanian and Mexican folk music, as well popular repertoire from Cuba and Puerto Rico. Recently, she participated as a participant and guest presenter for Spanish Sin Pena—a Spanish-language learning course for heritage speakers—on the rich history of protest music in Latin America.
The upcoming season will see Gabriela making her debut with Princeton Pro Musica and New York Baroque Inc. in performances of Bach’s Magnificat. She will also return for a third engagement with Baroque chamber ensemble Tempesta di Mare as the featured soloist for both the US premiere of Agata della Pietà’s Ecce nunc and for concerts in Venice and Florence as a part of their multi-year celebration of the female musician and performers of Ospedali grande.
Recordings
“Where shall I fly?…See! See! They come!” from Handel’s Hercules
August 2022 with the Madison Bach Musicians at the 9th annual Handel Aria Competition
“Non ita reducem” from Vivaldi’s Juditha triumphans
March 2024 with Tempesta di Mare
“Arma sunt sagittæ rebelles,” from Bianca Maria Meda’s Vibrate
April 2025 with Patrick Quigley and Seraphic Fire
“Tarry not, O cloud,” Excerpt from Holst’s The Cloud Messenger
January 2024 with Andrew James Welch and the Epiphany Festival
“Willkommen! will ich sagen, wenn der Tod ans Bette tritt,” from Cantata BWV 27
March 2023 with Matt Glandorf and the Philadelphia Bach Collegium
Engagements
SERAPHIC FIRE
The Best of Seraphic Fire
Miami, FL | October 2025
Ensemble | James Bass, conductor
PRINCETON PRO MUSICA & NEW YORK BAROQUE INC
Bach, Magnificat and Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied
Princeton, NJ | October 2025
Ryan Brandau, conductor
Solo and Ensemble
TEMPESTA DI MARE
Hidden Virtuosas: Performance Salon
Philadelphia, PA | November 2025
Gwyn Roberts & Richard Stone, directors
Solo
TEMPESTA DI MARE
Hidden Virtuosas: Agata’s Cantata
Philadelphia, PA | November 2025
Gwyn Roberts & Richard Stone, directors
Solo
SERAPHIC FIRE
Bach Motets
Miami, FL | November 2025
Patrick Dupre Quigley, conductor
Ensemble
I CANTORI DI CARMEL
Handel, Messiah
Carmel, CA | December 2025
Daniel Henriks, conductor
Solo
THE EPIPHANY FESTIVAL
Einojuhani Rautavaara’s Vigilia
Washington, D.C. | February 2026
Solo
TEMPESTA DI MARE
Le Donne Musicali
Philadelphia, PA | February 2026
Gwyn Roberts & Richard Stone, directors
Solo
SERAPHIC FIRE
Candleight
Miami, FL | March 2026
Arianne Abela, conductor
Ensemble
TEMPESTA DI MARE
Hidden Virtuosas Tour
Florence – Venice – Ferrara, IT | March 2026
Gwyn Roberts & Richard Stone, directors
Solo
PHILADELPHIA BACH COLLECTIVE
Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott, BWV 80
Philadelphia, PA | May 2026
Solo and Ensemble
CITY CHOIR OF WASHINGTON
Bach, B Minor Mass
Washington, D.C. | May 2026
Solo
PREVIOUS ENGAGEMENTS
2025
The Epiphany Festival
Lili Boulanger, Psalm 130: Du fond de l’abîme | January 2025 | D.C.
Solo | Andrew Jonathan Welch, conductor
Lorelei Ensemble & The National Symphony Orchestra
Julia Wolfe, Her Story | February 2025 | D.C.
Ensemble | Marin Alsop, conductor
Marin Symphony
Mozart, Requiem | March 2025 | CA
Solo | Kevin Fox, conductor
Apollo’s Fire
Bach, B Minor Mass | April 2023 | OH
Solo and Ensemble | Jeannette Sorrell, conductor
Seraphic Fire
Angels Behind the Walls: Vivaldi, Cozzolani, and Perucona | April 2025 | CA
Solo and Ensemble | Patrick Quigley, conductor
Lorelei Ensemble at the Long Play Festival
Cerrone, Beaufort Scales | May 2025 | N.Y., NY
Ensemble | Beth Willer, conductor
Tempesta di Mare
Faustina and Santina: The Venetian Divas of Handel, Hasse & Veracini | May 2025 | PA
Solo | Gwyn Roberts & Richard Stone, directors
Lorelei Ensemble at the Big Sing Festival
Cerrone, Beaufort Scales | July 2025 | Haarlem, NL
Ensemble | Beth Willer, conductor
2023-2024
Apollo’s Fire & The New York Philharmonic
Handel, Israel in Egypt | October 2023 | NY
Ensemble (solo cover)
Seraphic Fire
Gods and Mortals: Music of the French Baroque | October 2023 | FL
Ensemble | Patrick Dupre Quigley, conductor
Chora Nova
Bach, Magnificat and Credo from B Minor Mass | November 2023 | CA
Solo| Derek Tam, conductor
Contra Costa Chorale
Mozart, Requiem, K. 626 (Ostrzyga) | December 2023 | CA
Solo | Cindy Beitman, conductor
Georgetown Epiphany Festival
Holst, The Cloud Messenger | January 2024 | Washington, D.C.
Solo | Andrew James Welch, conductor
Eya Ensemble
Irish chant for Saint Brigid of Kildare | February 2024 | CT
Ensemble | Allison Mondel, director
Lorelei Ensemble
“Look Up” Tour | March 2024 | CT – NY – PA
Ensemble | Beth Willer, conductor
Tempesta di Mare
Vivaldi, Juditha triumphans | March 2024 | PA
Role of Abra
Apollo’s Fire
Bach, Easter Oratorio and Cantata 66 | April 2024 | OH
Ensemble (solo cover) | Jeannette Sorrell, conductor
Marin Symphony
Haydn, Lord Nelson Mass | May 2024 | CA
Solo | Kevin Fox, conductor
2022-2023
9th Annual Handel Aria Competition
August 2022 | Madison, WI
Finalist
Viva Voce
Distler and Schütz motets | September 2022 | PA
Ensemble | Nathan Zullinger, conductor
Bach Festival Society of Winter Park
Hayden, Hummel, and Hensel | October 2022 | FL
Ensemble | John Sinclair, conductor
Border CrosSing and the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra
Bach and Zumaya | November 2022 | MN
Solo and Ensemble | Ahmed Anzaldúa, conductor
Choral Arts Philadelphia
Schütz Musikalische Exequien | November 2022 | PA
Solo | Matthew Glandorf, conductor
Border CrosSing and the Minnesota Orchestra
Handel, Messiah & Ramírez, Navidad Nuestra | December 2022 |MN
Solo and Ensemble | Ahmed Anzaldúa, conductor
Bach Festival Society of Winter Park
Purcell, Handel, and Britten | February 2023 | FL
Solo and Ensemble | John Sinclair, conductor
Choral Arts Philadelphia
Bach, BWV 127 | March 2023 | Philadelphia, PA
Solo and Ensemble | Matthew Glandorf, conductor
Choralis
Handel, Messiah | March 2023 | VA
Solo and Ensemble
Chora Nova
Holst, The Cloud Messenger | March 2023 | CA
Solo | Paul Flight, conductor
Seraphic Fire
First – Last | April 2023 | FL
Ensemble | Patrick Dupre Quigley, conductor
Gabriela Estephanie Solís 